2000
#5,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,464
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.03
Rare Last name
Macpherson
Son of the parson or priest, derived from Gaelic "mac a' phearsain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,237 Americans carry the last name Macpherson. That puts it at #6,065 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,955 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macpherson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Macpherson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 54,955
Census rank
#6,065
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,439 bearers of the surname Macpherson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6065th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macpherson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macpherson
The surname MACPHERSON originated in Scotland during the medieval era. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac a' Phearsain, meaning "son of the parson" or "son of the clergyman." The name suggests that the first bearer was likely the son of a priest or clergyman in the Scottish Highlands.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Badenoch and Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands. The MACPHERSON clan was one of the most powerful and influential clans in this area, with their ancestral lands centered around the village of Cluny.
In the 16th century, the MACPHERSON clan played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English. One notable figure was Andrew MACPHERSON (c. 1530-1600), a skilled archer and warrior who fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.
During the 17th century, the MACPHERSON clan faced several challenges, including the Montrose Wars and the Civil War. James MACPHERSON (1675-1753), known as the "Black Officer," led the clan during these turbulent times and gained a reputation for his bravery and leadership.
The most famous bearer of the MACPHERSON surname is undoubtedly James MACPHERSON (1736-1796), the celebrated Scottish poet and writer. He is best known for his publication of the "Poems of Ossian," which claimed to be translations of ancient Gaelic epic poetry but were later revealed to be largely his own compositions.
Other notable individuals with the MACPHERSON surname include Sir David MACPHERSON (1818-1905), a Scottish-born Australian politician and statesman who served as the Premier of Victoria, and John MACPHERSON (1768-1853), a Scottish-American judge and politician who served as the 13th Governor of Virginia.
Throughout its long history, the MACPHERSON surname has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish Highland roots and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including literature, politics, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macpherson
Among Census respondents with the surname Macpherson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Macpherson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Macpherson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 4,865
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 279
- Two or more races3.4% · 184
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 53
- Black or African American0.9% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macpherson
Macpherson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,579
+115 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Down 344 places
2020
#6,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,439
-140 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,796 | 5,464 | 2.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,140 | 5,579 | 1.89 | +115 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 344 places |
| 2020 | #6,065 | 5,439 | 1.82 | -140 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 75 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Macpherson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,140 | #6,065 | 1.2% |
| Count | 5,579 | 5,439 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.89 | 1.82 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macpherson bearers went from 5,579 to 5,439 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,140 to #6,065.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Macpherson
FAQ
Macpherson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macpherson?
Name Census estimates that about 6,237 living Americans carry the surname Macpherson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,955 residents.
How common is Macpherson?
Macpherson ranks #6,065 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,439 people with the surname Macpherson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,237), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Macpherson.
Has Macpherson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macpherson went from 5,579 recorded bearers to 5,439. That is a decrease of 140 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,140 to #6,065.
What does the Census say about the background of Macpherson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macpherson, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Macpherson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (4,865 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macpherson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Macpherson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Macpherson mean?
Son of the parson or priest, derived from Gaelic "mac a' phearsain." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Macpherson (1.82 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Macpherson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.